Ready. Set. Legos! (Rhian Seneviratne’20/Staff)

One week after returning from Winter Break on January 8, we will observe MLK, Jr. Day on January 15. A month later, classes will be cancelled for a Professional Development day on February 16, followed by a day off on the 19th for Presidents Day. No classes are scheduled for March 2 (PTC). Then we head off to Spring Break on March 19. And who knows what Ohio’s elements will bring. More legos to come, for sure.

Thanks to the scheduling wizardry of Mr. Dow, however, neither planned nor unplanned days off school will cut into time in the classroom, and each class will still meet the same number of times. 

With several special schedules to account for such as Arts Mania, if snow days occur, Dow says, “Depending on whether we’ve had a complete rotation by that point, then we just pick up as normal, but if it means that we need to put a different day in to complete a cycle, then we do that.” 

Any other unforeseen occurrences, such as two-hour delays, can be easily handled with the newly added 5 Block. As with special events such as guest speakers or added assemblies, the extra 5 Block can be reconfigured or cut out of the day as needed to accommodate missed class time. 

“It just depends on what day ends up getting hit by inclement weather, and how we respond to that,” explains Dow. This flexible approach to inclement weather alleviates concerns about missed class time.

Either fortunately or perhaps unfortunately depending on who you ask, this preparation and flexibility in dealing with various planned and unplanned events will keep contact time between teachers and students at a maximum. 

So be prepared for more famous special schedule emails—legos included—in the coming months.